The World of SiH
by Anirbas Rune
Summary: Hey! This are mini stories about what happens in SiH. And the best thing is, the plot comes from YOU. Read on to find out more. All characters included! Some of the stories come from me.
1. Introduction

INTRODUCTION

Please read the following. PLEASE. Some is just part of my intro, but the rest is quite important for me if I am going to write the fanficts. So read it, 'kay? To make it easier, I highlighted/capitalized the important details.

So, hey! Im kinda new to all these writing of fanficts. Actually, you know what, this is my first fanfict and the ideas is not going to even come from me. It's from all you readers. I'm trying to make something different. Since I can only write given a situation (like a composition), I decided that the ideas are going to come from you!

So this is how it is going to work. And also some of the 'rules'?

1) Write in the comment or whatever (Im new to writing so I am not sure about the layout that well yet) to tell me what situation i should write about the Sekaiichi Hatsukoi characters. In case you have no idea what I am saying, here are some examples:

-Someone asked me to write about having a quiz time with Takano so I will think of some questions to 'ask' him. Then I will write a story.

-Someone asked me to write about the Sekaiichi hatsukoi characters playing basketball. Thus, I shall write about it.

2) NO MATURE THEMES. I'm not ready to write about it... I am only 13.

3) I might change a character's personality a bit. For example, I might just make the ukes, ESPECIALLY Ritsu, a bit less of a tsundere.

4) I might not have a lot of time to update the stories.

5) Oh, you can suggest a crossover with Junjou Romantica but I am not really used to the character personalities, like Shinobu and Usagi. But the rest is alright.

6) I will write about the stories that I think is interesting to write. But I will try and write most of the story plots.

7) Those plots that choose, I will give a shoutout to the owner of the idea. And also, I will be clarifying with the owner about some of the story plots.

8) If there is an occasions where 2 or more people thought of the same idea but did not get a shoutout, inform me through private message(do they even have those things? Sighs, Im hopeless) but be honest, okay?

9) Please don't suggest Isaka and Kaoru cuz I have NO CLUE about their relationship. But if you insist, I shall read up on it.

10) I am totally bad at writing fantasy so if I do write about it, brace yourself for the worst. :P

11) Please tell me if you do not like a certain chapter. But please don't insult my work... :(

12) I would add some stories of my own too

Hmmm. That is all I can think about now. I hope I didn't sound too demanding. If I did, sorry! Oh and my language is not as strong as other writers but I do hope the story flows well. I look forward to working with you. :D


	2. Mino's Kindness

**Hey hey! So I decided to write more about Mino. The personality is something that I had thought about myself. I feel he is the most undeveloped character in Sekaiichi. Him and Yuu. Hm... Maybe I should put both of them together. This happened on the last day of Hell week. Sorry Kisa...**

"Bang!" Kisa's head hit the table loudly, shocking everyone in the Emerald Department. Sure, Kisa's head hitting the table was not an uncommon thing but this time, it was LOUD. Onodera glanced over at his colleague worriedly.

"Kisa-san, are you alright?" Onodera asked anxiously. No reply. He shook Kisa's shoulder gently. Still no reply. Figuring that his colleague had fainted, Onodera lifted Kisa's head and inspected his forehead. Luckily there weren't any cuts but a big bruise was slowly forming. Onodera mentally tutted.

"Oi, Onodera! How's Kisa?" Takano called out. Onodera lifted his gaze and looked at his boss, catching a hint of jealousy in his eyes. Usually, Onodera would have either blushed or smirked but he was too concerned about Kisa right now.

"Not good. He passed out again and a bruise is forming on his head," Onodera replied, his attention already back to Kisa. Takano clicked his tongue impatiently.

"This is the 3rd time he fainted. Go take an ice pack quick. Come back to your work as soon as your are done. IF I FIND YOU LINGERING AROUND, I WILL DOUBLE YOUR WORKLOAD. GO!" Takano barked. Onodera scrambled out of his seat and went to get the ice pack. It has been about six months working with Takano but he has not gotten over how scary Takano can be during hell week.

When he got back, he found Mino on his seat.

"Mino-san, please excuse me," Onodera said. Mino turned around and gave Onodera his infamous smile, though now it just looked creepy. Imagine a person with eyebags and skin so pale it looked like paper itself, smiling at you. How would you feel?

"Sorry Onodera. I was just looking over Kisa," Mino explained while getting out of Onodera's seat. "Do you want me to help you with Kisa? I am almost finished with my work but I cannot say the same for you," Mino continued while gesturing to Onodera's piled of work. Onodera was just about to refuse Mino's offer when Takano butted in.

"Just let Mino handle it. Don't think you are capable enough to take care of Kisa AND finish doing your work in the same night. You will have to stay here 'till 7 in the morning to finish up your work while all of us are already home asleep. But then again, you are a slowpoke. WELL, WHAT ARE YOU STANDING THERE FOR?" Takano thundered. Sighing, Onodera muttered a quick thanks to Mino and continued doing his work at Mino's table.

"Takano," Onodera mused, "sometimes have worse mood swings than girls. And that came from a guy who had to endure An-chan when she was a teenager."

An hour passed and Kisa was still not conscious. Mino, who had just recently finished his work, stayed behind to help Kisa with his. Takano had offered his help but Mino rejected it. Onodera was surprised at that time. If it was up to him, he would already accepted Takano's help without a second thought. He couldn't believe just how kind Mino was, going as far as to help Kisa finish his work so when Kisa woke up, he could head home straight. He was also amazed that not only did Takano not complain about Kisa fainting, he had also offered his help. Offering your help when you have twice the workload of other editors and sacrificing your sleep when you have not even taken a break for the whole night to just help another editor was something one would consider as incredibly nice.

"Both of them are amazing. I wished I was a little like them. Takano and his editing power and Mino's ability to be nice no matter the occasion. Though I wouldn't want to smile all the time like Mino but I guess that makes Mino Mino. And I definitely do NOT want to become Takano the wolf. Wait, why did I even think of that? GAH! Get out, get out. No, stop thinking about Takano," Onodera mentally berated himself and felt his face heating up.

"Your face is really red. Do you feel ill?" Mino questioned. Onodera blushed even harder and shook his head.

"See what you made me do, Takano..." Onodera thought angrily while continuing with his work, aware of Takano's glare.

Hatori was the one to go back first, though he did left looking a bit guilty leaving everyone still in the warzone while he get to go back home. It was about 3am then. Now, it is already 3.30am. How time flies past.

"Wah, where am I?" Kisa groaned while trying to sit up, only to lay his head back on the table, clutching his head.

"Kisa, you finally woke up! How are you feeling? You have been out for about 2 hours now," Mino said while supporting Kisa.

"Eh? Mino-chan? What are you doing here at Ricchan's seat? And why do I have a bruise on my forehead and a migraine?" Kisa enquired softly, depleted of all energy to even sit up properly.

"I was taking care of you when you were unconscious. You banged your forehead really hard on the table. " Mino explained patiently.

"Wah so that is what happened? I'm sorry for causing all of you trouble. Thank you Mino. Man, I thought all these was merely a nightmare," Kisa sighed while smiling weakly around him. Takano merely nodded. Onodera returned his smile. Mino, well, Mino beamed at Kisa.

Kisa hunched at his table, groping around for his stack of work. He looked perplexed when he could not find his pile.

"Eh, where is my work? Don't tell me it disappeared..." Kisa left his words hanging as he continued fruitlessly to search for his work.

"Don't worry, Kisa. I got it all under control," Mino lifted up the manuscript he was currently editing.

"EH? Wah Mino, you didn't have to," Kisa said while choking back tears. He was really touched that Mino had done this for him. He never knew anyone so kind before. Well, except for Yukina. Kisa was truly indebted to Mino. He was so kind and Kisa did not even have the chance to repay him back.

"One day, just you wait," Kisa vowed. "Mino, you have done enough for me. I thank you. I really appreciate what you are doing. Here, give me back my manuscripts. You go home now. You had done a lot for me," Kisa thanked Mino while holding out his hand to take his manuscript back.

Onodera was shocked. He rarely hear this tone in Kisa's voice but if he does, it means that Kisa was really really grateful to the person. The only other time he heard this tone was when Kisa was talking to another man at the Marimo bookstore.

"Oh no. Please allow me to continue. I am nearly finished with this one. You go home first Kisa. Anyway, you look like you have a fever. No, actually you look like you have difficulty even sitting up," Mino declined the offer easily and continued with his editing.

Kisa was torn between arguing with Mino about the manuscripts and going home. His migraine was really murderous. He chose the former and was about to argue when Takano butted in.

"Listen to Mino. You can't even lift your head up. Go home, get some rest, take a day off if you need to. But make sure when you come back, you take Mino's workload. Mino, no arguing here. Accept it. And also, you sure you don't need me and Onodera's help in anything?" Takano asked, his voice gentle. Again, Onodera was shocked at Takano's tone. During hell week, he rarely spoke gently. All he heard from Takano was always a series of barks and orders during hell week. Mino's actions must have soften his heart.

"Mino is amazing," Onodera thought. He found himself thinking of the same things again and again tonight. Too much that even he got annoyed with himself.

"Would a request for a cup of tea be too much?" Mini addressed both Takano and Onodera. Quickly, Onodera stood up and rushed to get Mino the requested cup of tea. Mino does not drink coffee as he claimed that coffee makes him dizzy.

Kisa, feeling guilty and wrong if he just leave Mino working on his manuscripts decided to at least stay at the office and observe Mino doing the work. Soon, when the migraine got too painful for him, he dozed off.

Everything was finished after another hour or so. Timecheck, 6am. Onodera sighed heavily as soon as Takano said everyone was free to go. Everyone stood up, except Kisa of course, to pack their bags. When Takano was ready, he sauntered (attempted to. He was almost staggering) towards Kisa's seat and proceeded to wake him up.

Kisa started when he realized that Takano was the one waking him up. Taking a glance at Takano's face was appearently too much for Kisa. He broke down, saying how sorry he was and how useless he was during the period. Takano was startled and it took Onodera, Mino and Takano a while before Kisa calmed down again.

"Hey Kisa. Look. It wasn't your fault alright? You can't help being sick. Don't say you are useless because you are not. Everbody in Emerald is precious to the company and to me, okay? So cheer up. Anyway, you are going to pay by doing some of Mino's work so its ok. We all help each other in times of need. I am not going to be cheesy here and say we are all family but we are friends and that is what friends do. Help one another," Takano said gently, one hand on Kisa's head. The speech was touching to Onodera but he did find that gesture somewhat... Irritating.

"Oh that reminds me. I brought my car over. Onodera you are most definitely coming with me. Mino, Kisa, I suggest you take my offer on this unless you have another person fetching you," Takano offered. Onodera turned bright red at Takano's words but he does suppose that turning down a nice cozy ride back home was stupid. And Takano is not going out of his way to send Onodera home. Come on, they live next to each other!

"Alright. I'll take up your offer," Mino agreed.

"Just drop me off at the train station please. I have someone waiting for me," Kisa then gave a thumbs up, who knows for what. He took out his phone and started tapping away, only to put his phone away when he got a confirmation.

"Urm not to be rude or anything but are you sure you are good enough to drive? I mean, looking tired and everything," Onodera asked Takano. Takano smirked.

"Of course. Don't worry about me. You know, your cute when you are worried about me," the last part was whispered beside Onodera's ear. He tried hard not to feel flustered but failed.

When everyone was ready, they all stumbled out of the building. All looking like zombies. The early birds coming into the office stayed away from them, some with disgusted looks(the newbies), others frightened. The only people who dared come close to them are the other editors from other teams.

Once they reached Takano's car, they had a small argument of where they should seat. Well, Takano and Onodera did anyway. Takano wanted Onodera to sit at the front but Onodera refused and wanted to sit at the back. Mino and Kisa just watched their small fight with amusement. In the end, Takano won. Onodera grumbled and somehow manage to position his body so he was facing away from Takano in the seat.

They dropped Kisa off first. Mino supported him and helped him to a bench outside the station.

"Kisa-san! Are you okay?" Someone called out and rushed towards Kisa. Takano and Onodera, who was witnessing the scene in the car, recognised the person. Who wouldn't recognize Yukina Kou, the one who sold most of their mangas?

Yukina then turned towards them and thanked all of them, looking absolutely grateful. They left the place and dropped Mino off 4 blocks away from the station.

After that, the atmosphere became really quiet and peaceful in the car. Onodera had shifted himself so that he was sitting normally. Gazing out of the window, he thought about the events that had happened. Kisa fainting, Mino kindness...

"Takano, you know what? I feel very grateful that I stayed in the manga division. Grateful that I met people like Mino, Kisa, Hatori..." Onodera trailed off.

"Don't stop there. You are forgetting someone," Takano grunted. Onodera looked confused. He did not miss anyone, did he? Takano, sensing that Onodera was puzzled, sighed heavily.

"I was talking about myself. Unless you don't feel grateful that you have met me," Takano said, sounding really hurt.

"No no no! I did not mean that. I meant that it should be obvious that I was, AM, grateful to meet you!" Flustered, Onodera spouted, desperate to make Takano feel better. Takano's eyes widen. He did NOT expect that.

"Onodera... I am driving. Please don't make me have the urge to kiss you," Takano mumbled, his grip tightened around the steering wheel.

"Wha... NO I DID NOT SAY THAT. FORGET I SAY THAT," Onodera yelled, flushed.

"You mean that was a random statement?" Takano answered, sounding even worse than before.

"No it wasn't... ARGH I GIVE UP!" Onodera threw his hands up and shifted his body away from Takano again. Hearing Onodera's grumblings, Takano grinned.

Author's notes: Man that was a long chapter... I did not know where to end... AND IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT MINO but I ended up putting some details about Takano and Onodera... I hope you did not mind. Was it draggy? Is my language okay? The paragraphing, sentence structure, grammar and the words I used? Do I need any improvements? Please review! Thanks guys for reading my story! Love you guys! （^人^）


	3. Surprise surprise

**Author's note: Hey guys! Thanks for reading the last chap! Ok so DarkPrincess758 was the one to give me this idea. Thanks, DarkPrincess! :D. I hope the story is ok for you... Ok now pls enjoy :P**

In Onodera's Apartment

"Ow, my head..." Onodera grumbled as he sat up in his bed. He had no idea why he was feeling this awful. Come on, all he did yesterday was lounge around the house, reading books. He neither drank beer nor was it hell week. He was sure he had plenty of rest.

A cold blast of wind entered the room, making him wrap the blanket around him tighter. He looked around for the source of the wind and discovered that his windows were wide open. Slowly, memories from yesterday started to trickle back.

"Cold cold COLD!" Onodera yelped as soon as his feet touched the floor of the genkan. He hopped back into his working shoes and started looking around for his warm, fluffy slippers in the shape of a bunny. It was a gift from Takano for the previous valentine's day, which disgusted him to no end, though as embarrassed as he was, he couldn't find it in him to throw it away. Anyway, it was warm and that was the only reason why he kept the present. ONLY REASON. (So he says).

He searched for the slippers for a few minutes but to no avail. It was nowhere to be found. He tried to figure out a way to navigate through his entire house without his slippers and without his feet touching the floor, scrunching up his face in the process. Try as he might, he found no easy solution. If only he had remembered to wear his socks, everything would be fine. But no. He just had to forget.

He groaned. The only options available was to walk in the hallway using his shoes (never. It would be too much of a bother to clean it up again), stay in the genkan (why do something stupid? How is he going to sleep, eat, do stuff?), go to Takano's house (haha, very funny. What a great joke. I'm crying tears of laughter right now) or just walk barefooted (C.O.L.D). Of course, he chose the last option, the only reasonable and logical answer. He took a deep breath, gathered all his courage and dashed all the way to his bedroom, where he put on his thickest pair of socks.

The next thing he did was to turn the heater to its maximum. He then proceeded to heat up his dinner. It's not that he was lazy to cook, it's just that he was tired. And also, his food doesn't taste that appetizing. Same old answer he gave everyone who inquired about his eating habits.

About an hour or so, beads of perspiration trickled down his neck. He didn't actually realise that it was hot until he felt the perspiration. He was busy reading a book and proofreading. Feeling worn out, he decided to turn in for the night, turning down the heater before doing so.

In bed, he couldn't feel comfortable. He twisted and turned but no matter where he lay, he could not sleep. It was too sweltering hot in his house! First it was freezing cold, then it was so hot. He sighed, remembering that he did turn down the heater. Was it malfunctioning now of all times? He sighed again, dragging himself out of his bed. He then pushed the windows open, welcoming the ever cool breeze. He was too tired and lazy to walk all the way to the hall to check on that machine. This will do. After that, slumber embraced him.

That was what happened the previous night. Onodera groaned at his stupidity and laziness. His reward, a headache, a cold and a fever. He couldn't even find it in him to stand up. Without giving it a second thought, he reached for his handphone and scrolled through his contacts, calling the first name that appeared in his handphone and was his colleague. After a few rings, Hatori picked up.

"Hi Hatori-san. I am sick today so I can't go to work," Onodera explained briefly.

"Ah, ok. I will tell Takano. Thank y... Oi! Don't take my phon... Ah! Hello! Please get well soon, Onodera-kun. Hey Tori, no DON'T take back the phone. I haven't finish talking to Onodera-k... Onodera, sorry about that. I have to go. Take care of yourself.. Oi give me back my phone. I haven't ended the call yet. CHIAKI!" The call ended after a few more rounds of shouting at each other. Onodera chuckled and put down his phone.

"I wonder who this Chiaki may be. He sounded really close to Hatori, even calling him Tori and snatching the phone away. Well, I guess Chiaki is nice. He did wish me a 'get well soon'," Onodera chuckled again. It truly felt amusing listening to the conversation. Feeling a little bit better, he laid back into his bed and shut his eyes.

At Emerald Department

"HUH? Onodera is sick? Why didn't he call me straight?" Takano, under that glare he gave Hatori, was really hurt that Onodera did not tell him. Instead, he told Hatori. Did Onodera really wanted to avoid him at all cost? And to think it was his birthday. Takano had wanted to see Onodera. It's not Onodera's fault that he is sick but at least a call would be nice. He raked his fingers through his hair in annoyance and sank back into his seat, continuing with his work.

He had came early for work today, thinking that Onodera would already be there. He thought that if he did that, Onodera would wish him a happy birthday. He always seemed more comfortable telling Takano these things when they are alone, not that Onodera tell him much. Bu still. Maybe he could even persuade Onodera for a kiss.

So Takano waited and waited, but Onodera never came. One by one, his co-workers filled up their seats, wishing him a happy birthday. Kisa and Mino even gave him a gift. Kisa, a brown spectacle case ("Yea, 'cuz you always like to just stuff your spectacle around. You know, Takano-san, it's a wonder your spectacle have not broken yet. I pity your spectacle," ) and Mino, a box containing different types of coffee packets and surrounded by coffee beans ("You really like coffee. You drink 3 cups almost everyday so I thought you might like these,"). Hatori came in last and that was when he received the news.

"That Onodera. Just you wait," Takano grumbled.

Onodera's POV

Onodera opened his eyes slowly. He felt much better now. The headache's gone and his fever had went down. Sitting up, he stretched, feeling his bones popping back into place. Rubbing his eyes, he stepped into the kitchen and proceeded to make some lunch from some rice and 2 eggs. While waiting for his rice to cook, his eyes caught some red marks on his calendar. Curious, he stepped closer and squinted at the small red marks at the bottom of the page. Takano's birthday. It's today. His eyes widened. He had certainly not prepared anything for Takano at all.

But why should he? His tsundere part of him argued.

Because it is his BIRTHDAY. I should at least do something. He did something for my birthday. I should at least return the favor. His kinder, sweeter part of him retorted back.

Fine. But I am not doing this because I love him or anything. It is to return a favor and because it is polite. Nothing more. His tsundere part of him stated, absolute.

Onodera started brainstorming. What can he do for Takano? What does Takano like? Then, he realized something. Of all these months of knowing Takano, he did not know anything about that man at all. Nothing. Not his favourite colour even. He started to panic. How could he still be called his lover when he did not know anything about Takano? Wait. 'LOVER'? He started to panic even more. He is not Takano's lover, is he? But Takano wouldn't do anything like 'that' to other people, right?

Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw something rising out of his pot. He swiveled around and saw smoke coming from it. Immediately, he became aware of the thick smell of something burning. Yelping, he scurried towards the pot and switched off the fire. Bracing himself for the worst, he tightened his grip around the handle of the cover and lifted it up. What do you know, a tiny plume of smoke engulfed him. He quickly turned away from the pot, coughing and sneezing away. When the smoke cleared, he inched his way and peered into the pot. Black. Everything. Was. Black. All his rice, burnt just like that. He felt faint. But then again, this wasn't the first time his food was burnt. And this wasn't the first time his food was burnt because of Takano.

Knowing that he had no one to blame but himself, he threw away all the burnt rice and cooked a new pot, this time making sure he observed the rice properly.

While eating, he suddenly thought of a dream he had a long time ago. The dream where he and Takano was sitting at a table for two, a cake placed in the middle of the table. A cake that he made himself. The place was bathed in candlelight and his present was hidden away from Takano's prying eyes. He smiled nervously as he sang Takano the birthday song, coupled together with his clapping. Takano would then blow out the candles and eat the cake, complimenting Onodera at how delightful the cake was. After the meal, Onodera handed him the present with shaky hands and Takano would rip the wrapping paper apart, gushing at how thoughtful the present was. Takano would look up and meet Onodera's gaze, thanking him for the lovely night. Mesmerized, he would hold Takano's gaze as he cupped Onodera's chin, lifting it up and capturing Onodera's lips with his own...

Disgusted, Onodera lost all his appetite. He could not believe he thought of such things before. So innocent, so... Sickeningly romantic. Looking back now, he felt disgusted at feeling most of the things he felt before. After a few seconds, he calmed down and thought of other things that he could do for Takano. But alas, all this thoughts led him to a place he did not want to think about. He racked a hand through his already messy hair and shoved the remaining food down his throat. Desperate for ideas, he decided to call Yokozawa.

"Urm, hello Yokozawa-san? This is Onodera speaking. Do you think, urm, you can help me answer some questions regarding Takano-san? If-if that is ok with you," Onodera stammered, nervous at what the man was going to say. He thought that Yokozawa was still in love with Takano and cursed himself for not thinking ahead.

"Ah Onodera. How are you feeling? Yeah, I don't mind," Yokozawa answered without a trace of jealously or anger. Taken aback, Onodera did not answer for a few seconds before rushing to thank him for his concern.

"Eh, Yokozawa-san, since today is-is Takano-san birthday, I was wondering what he would like to do for his birthday," Onodera waited anxiously for Yokozawa's answer.

"Tsk, are you seriously asking me this?" Yokozawa grunted in annoyance. Onodera flinched.

"To spend the day with you, moron! But no, you had to get sick..." Yokozawa continued. Anger burst though him for a second. It is not like he got sick on purpose!

"Urm, does Takano-san likes cakes? I was wondering what flavour he likes," Onodera asked again.

"He is ok with cakes. Wait, are you telling me that YOU want to bake a cake? You can't even make stew. Takano told me, in case you are wondering how I knew. Anyway, are you good enough to walk? If yes, I want you to meet me at this address, sharp at 5pm. I will help you bake a cake," Yokozawa offered and fired off an address, leaving Onodera scrambling about for a paper and a pen. When he finally got one, Yokozawa had to repeat again. Before ending the call, he thanked Yokozawa.

He was shocked that Yokozawa was not as cold as he was before. Sure, he still insults Onodera but it sounded like he was not intentionally really insulting him. It sounded like a bad habit which was hard to get rid off. He was even more surprised that Yokozawa had offered his help. Previously, Yokozawa did not even want to look at him but now...

"I wonder what it means. I wished it meant that he has gotten over Takano since he is always bothering me," Onodera smiled bitterly. He hated it when Yokozawa keep insisting that he was in a relationship with Takano. It had annoyed him to no end. "But I wonder how Yokozawa know how to make a cake,"

Yokozawa's POV

"You called me?" Kirishima called, jolting Yokozawa out of his reverie. He turned to face the older man, his lips unconsciously curling upwards.

"Hm yeah. Onodera wanted to bake a cake for Masamune so I invited him to your house. That okay with you?" Yokozawa inquired. He looked up to see Kirishima pouting. Frowning, he recalled what he had said but could not find anything in his words that might upset the man. Maybe he didn't approve of him inviting Onodera?

"Hey, no fair. Takano got to be called by his first name and he is just your best friend. How come me, as your lover, don't get to be called by my first name," Kirishima sulked. Yokozawa stared, aghast.

"Don't think of such stupid things like these," Yokozawa started but Krishima cut him off, saying that it was important to him.

"Ok fine, I will call you by your first name when I am ready," Yokozawa huffed, his cheeks burning red. Kirishima amazingly turned cheerful again and hugged Yokozawa. He fought back, saying that they could be caught but he knew that was a weak argument. They were in one of those barely used resting area, since it was inconvenient to travel here. Yokozawa, on the other hand, liked to come here for some peace and quiet.

"When will Onodera be there?" Kirishima's voice was muffled. He had now buried his face on the crook of Yokozawa's neck. Yokozawa glared at him but did not move his shoulder, instead tilting his head to the side to rest on Kirishima's. Kirishima stilled for a second, pleasantly amazed at the show of affection.

"At five. Kirishima?" Kirishima gave another muffled 'huh?', burying his face further. Yokozawa let out a small sigh before continuing nervously.

"This means that he will know about our... Our relationship. I... I am not sure if that is ok. Is.. Is it? I mean, I don't think even Hiyo knows and now we are going to tell someone who is not even close to us," Yokozawa stammered. Listening to Yokozawa, Kirishima spun Yokozawa around so that they both faced each other.

"Yokozawa, look. It is really ok. We need some practice anyway before telling Hiyo. Anyways, I think that you should tell Takano too. You know, since he is your best friend and all," Kirishima assured Yokozawa. Yokozawa smiled, relieved.

Onodera's POV

Onodera arrived outside a door, fiddling with his hands. He collected his wits before pushing the doorbell. That was when he saw the nameplate.

"Krishima? Isn't that the editor-in-chief for Japun? Wait, did Yokozawa tricked me?" Onodera panicked and was about to flee when the door opened, revealing Yokozawa. He was dressed in a loose shirt and jeans. This actually shocked Onodera. He had never imagined Yokozawa wearing something so casual as that.

"Onii-chan, is that Onodera-san?" A girl shouted from inside the house. Onodera started. Wait, YOKOZAWA HAD A LITTLE SISTER?

A little girl, aged 11 from the looks of it, appeared beside Yokozawa. She was around Yokozawa's waist and had hazel eyes. Her hair was a rich shade of mahagony. Her fringe ended just above her eyes while the rest of her hair was pulled back in a high ponytail. Her eyes, a beautiful shade of hazel, was looking up towards Yokozawa. Hastily, she opened the gate and welcomed him into the Kirishima household. She was polite, leading him to greet Kirishima (which went along fine without any incident) before showing him to their kitchen. Onodera, dazed, just went along with the girl.

"Ah, I am sorry! I did not introduce myself. I am Hiyori Kirishima," Hiyori bowed deeply. Onodera, not used to children, bowed too anxiously and introduced himself. Yokozawa, sensing his discomfort, told Onodera to just treat Hiyo as how he would treat an adult.

"So, we are going to make a durian cake. Believe it or not, Takano likes it. I remembered he bought 2 large cakes for his birthday when we were in school," Yokozawa chuckled. Hiyori busied himself with getting the ingredients out and getting the recipe book.

"Onii-chan, Onodera-san, remember to wash your hands, ok? Onodera-san, here! Use this," Hiyori handed him an olive apron. Onodera reluctantly wore it, feeling more confident only when he saw Yokozawa and Hiyori doing the same. Hiyori gave out the instructions and Yokozawa and him followed it. Truth be told, Onodera felt very out of place. Hiyori and Yokozawa worked together efficiently, together as a team, while Onodera felt as if he was intruding their personal space. Still, both of them were trying their best to include him in their conversation and Onodera felt grateful for this.

"Onodera-san, please mix this!" Hiyori handed him a bowl and a whisk. He took in uncertainly and started mixing it slowly.

"Onodera-san, you have to mix it faster!" Hiyori berated him. Onodera smiled sheepishly and spun the whisk at a faster rate. His result, making a mess of the batter, spilling some of it on the floor.

"Oi, be careful, would you?" Yokozawa chided, picking up a cloth and asking him to clean up some of the spilled batter on the floor. Kirishima, having entered the kitchen, gave him a sympathetic look. He walked around the kitchen, offering his help but got rejected without any hesitation. Kirishima was just about to offer his help to Onodera when Yokozawa stopped him.

"No. You will not touch anything in the kitchen. Not. A. Thing. I don't want this ruined. In case you are wondering, this man cannot even cut a vegetable without getting his fingers chopped up too in the process," Yokozawa said. Onodera, guilty of the same thing, could only nod his head.

"Aw... Such a shame. Don't trust me enough?" Kirishima teased and leaned on Yokozawa's back. Yokozawa clicked his tongue in annoyance and tried to push Kirishima away, though he didn't use much strength. Kirishima smirked and glanced towards Hiyori's direction, before dropping a kiss on Yokozawa's cheek. Onodera's jaw dropped.

"Wait wait wait. WHAT did I just saw?" Onodera stared at both of them, mouth still very wide open. Thoughts flitted across his mind. Were they a couple? For how long? Why did Yokozawa choose Kirishima and visa versa? Why do that in front of him? And most importantly, were they really a couple or was he misunderstanding the situation?

Kirishima, having sensed his confusion, chuckled and placed a finger on his lips, tilting his head towards Hiyori. Onodera, still feeling very taken aback, did not react. He merely gaped at both of them. Yokozawa fidgeted under his stare whilst his cheeks, and even his ears, burned. Not being able to stand the staring contest any longer, Yokozawa stepped towards Onodera and warned him not to tell anyone, even Takano. Then, he continued with the mixing of the batter, leaving Onodera alone with Kirishima. Kirishima smiled at his partner's behaviour before turning towards Onodera, beckoning him to the living room.

"You know, Onodera, you are the first to know about our relationship. Maybe not, since I am pretty sure Takano has figured it out already, but you are still the first one Yokozawa had wanted to tell. I am not sure why you first and not Takano, but I guess it is his way of apologizing for the trouble he had given you when he was still chasing after Takano. And also, I think he wants to tell you that you can now go all out with Takano since there will be no one to rival with you for his heart. Knowing you, you wouldn't have realized that he has already gotten over Takano and knowing my dear beloved, he is never good with words.

Since you already know that, please do go all out with Takano. He really does sincerely love you and it would be nice if you tell him how you feel about him. Don't give me that face. I know you love him deep in your heart but you just don't want to admit it because you are scared that he will break your heart again. Then again, if you reject him, both of you are going to end up not only more hurt, but also regret at not knowing how the future will turn out if you didn't. Feeling hurt that you rejected him because you are afraid to get hurt, don't you think that defeats the whole purpose? Don't you think it's time to give him a second chance? I think both of you deserve it.

Plus, it's not that he cheated on you or anything. It was just a misunderstanding and both of you really suffered from that. The more a pair suffers when they broke up, the more it shows that they need each other," Kirishima smiled sadly. He really did want the both of them to get together. He observed Onodera. His mouth was moving but nothing coming out from it, his brows furrowed deeply and to top it all, he seems like he was about to collapse. It seems that his words had deeply struck Onodera's heart, leaving him thoroughly speechless and confused.

"Woah, didn't I say a lot? Well, anyways, just think on what I have said or else my words will be wasted," Kirishima winked before leaving Onodera alone with his thoughts. Onodera almost sank to his knees when he left, feeling overwhelmed with the man's words. His mind was in a mess and his heart was racing. The only reason why he felt like that was because everything the man had said about Takano and him were true. When said it like that, he felt stupid.

"Then again, it's not my fault that Takano laughed and made me feel insecure," he thought bitterly, though now, with Kirishima's words put in consideration, was not said with much anger. He was dead right when he said both of them suffered greatly. When he thought back, Takano certainly did suffer even more than him, going as far as almost breaking down completely. If not for the help of Yokozawa, who knows if he would still be alive. He shivered at this thought.

He heard some laughter in the kitchen, a low chuckle from Yokozawa and a high pitched giggle from Hiyori, and turned his head towards them. From his view, they really look like a family, though there were no mother and only two fathers. The way Kirishima looked at Yokozawa with so much love and the way Yokozawa relaxed completely around him, made his heart ache. For the first time, he felt that he was ready to give Takano a second chance.

"Onodera-san, come here! Make the cake with us," Hiyori shouted from the kitchen. He started at the voice, being forced back into reality. Mind still occupied, he made his way towards the Kirishimas and Yokozawa.

1.5 hours later

Onodera squeezed the last of the icing on the cake, hands shaking badly, and felt satisfied that it did not look so horrible. Hiyori clapped her hands and ran to take a box to place the cake into. Afterwards, when everything was finished, Onodera turned to leave, thanking the household for their kindness. Yokozawa and Kirishima escorted him out of the house. At the door, Yokozawa wished him good luck and turned to leave but stopped when Kirishima asked Onodera for an answer.

"I decided to give him a second chance. Not that I will say it straight into his face," Onodera replied quietly, gripping the plastic bag that contained the cake. Krishima smiled. Yokozawa, confused with the conversation, poked Kirishima but his reply was to tell him later. As Onodera turned to leave, Yokozawa remembered something.

"Onodera, don't tell anyone about this. If Masamune asked, tell him you baked the cake with me and me only. I will tell him at a later time,"Yokozawa warned, showing him the infamous bear side of him. Onodera nodded, not affected with him with the thoughts running in his mind, and bowed before leaving for his house.

Onodera's POV

"I'll be there in an hour," was Takano's reply when Onodera invited him to his house. As soon as he read the message, he scurried around and tried to make his place look as presentable as possible in that short amount of time. All the books that he left lying around was stacked in a corner. All his clothes was dumped into the washing machine(some of it ended up in the store room since there was no more space in the washing machine). After a while, his living room started to look neat again. All he had to do was to sweep the floor, maybe mop it too if he had the time, and set up the table.

"Ding dong," Onodera jumped. He wasn't ready! Why did Takano had to be so on time? He started running around the house to get everything done, frantically sweeping and taking the cake out, almost dropping it in his haste.

"Oi Onodera. Open up! I thought you invited me here!" Takano shouted angrily and proceeded to kick the door.

Onodera scuttled towards the door and yanked it open, only to find Takano on the genkan. Apparently, he was in the midst of knocking (breaking the door) and had lost his balance when Onodera suddenly opened the door.

"About time," he said gruffly while getting up. Onodera grumbled and mumbled something that sounds like 'Impatient idiot impulsive Takano. I only left you outside the door for 5 minutes.' Takano chose to ignore it.

"So, why did you invite me here? I remeber you were so keen on shooing me out of the door only just 2 days ago. Ah, maybe you want to celebrate my birthday," Takano smirked before waiting for Onodera's famous denial. Si-lence. Onodera merely fidgeted with his hands. Takano's eyes widened.

"So you did invite me to celebrate my birthday?" He continued, disbelief colouring his voice.

"Anything wrong with that?" Onodera snapped, his face flushed with anger and embarassment.

'I shouldn't have thought of cake. I should've just sent him a text or something. It's all because I panicked and let Kirishima's words affect me,' Onodera really regretted his actions. Why, of all things, this? That morning, it only felt right to be doing this but now...

"Co-come in. Make yourself at home. AND PLEASE DON'T DO ANYTHING TO ME ONCE YOU SEE THIS," Onodera warned him, knowing fully well Takano might just jump on him. Wait, change that to 'most definately will'. Takano, having composed himself, smirked and followed the huffing Onodera into the living room. Strange. The lights weren't switched on.

Onodera was really, really regretting his actions right now. Why, oh why did he choose this way of celebrating? Oh well, at least he did not go overboard with preparations. No candles, no expensive cakes and no present. Well, he was feeling a little bit guilty about the last part but he told himself that he was already going out of his way to prepare this. Thus, no present.

He navigated through the dark living room with ease. He was lost in thought and neglected his job as a host. Takano, not that familiar with his house, was left to grope around the house, cursing every once in a while. Onodera ignored him, instead turning a sharp left and letting Takano walk straight ahead. Into a wall.

"What the hell, Onodera? First, you made me wait outside the door. Then, you didn't switch on the lights, making me walk blindly. Finally, you let me walk straight into a wall. Just what kind of a host are you?" Takano grumbled while rubbing his forehead. It honestly wasn't that painful but he just wanted to rile Onodera up, hoping that that would make him cheer up a bit. He really was quiet since the moment he let him into his house. To his surprise, Onodera did not even bat an eye. He just mumbled an apology.

Onodera, on the other hand, couldn't calm down. He told himself that it was just that he was just feeling jittery since he was really embarrassed but deep inside, he wanted Takano to like his surprise. He wanted to see Takano's look of utter disbelief and happiness. He wanted to see him smile. He was just about to position himself in front of the living room switch when he saw Takano looking around just like a lost puppy. Sighing, he took Takano's hand and lead him back to the switch. He was breathing in deeply and gathering his courage when he felt a reassuring squeeze from Takano. He froze for a moment before returning the gesture hastily. Having became more confident, he breathed in deeply for the last time before flicking on the switch.

Takano's breath hitched. In front of him, there was a table for two. A huge durian cake (he almost drooled at the sight of it) lay in the middle of it. It was neither extravagant nor decorated to be romantic but just the thought of his Onodera doing this made his heart race, pounding so fiercely against his ribs that it almost hurts.

Onodera looked up to him to see his expression, anxious to know if Takano liked it. To his surprise, Takano, the man who had one of the best poker face in town, under the hand covering his mouth, had rosy cheeks. He. Was. Blushing. Not only that, he was also speechless. The man who was never speechless, the man who rarely ever blushed, the man who never gets this vulnerable. Meaning he, Onodera Ritsu, had more than succeeded. He was simply overjoyed.

"Com-come on. Le-let's eat. Sor-sorry I didn't cook any di-dinner. I didn't have the time," Onodera stuttered out. Still holding Takano's hand, he pulled them towards the table. Takano felt almost like deadweight. He was just to stunned to move his legs. After both of them had sat down, Onodera, after many seconds, finally decided to sing Takano a fast birthday song, ending in under 4 seconds. Usually Takano would complain but this time, his cheeks burned a brighter shade of pink.

Onodera found himself thinking that Takano looked really cute with that pink blush of him. That it was one of the things that Onodera really liked about Takano. Takano's blush was never red. And then, still being a bit of Onodera the tsundere, he felt disgusted at thinking about Takano that way.

Their birthday meal was quiet but instead of feeling awkward, both of them felt totally at ease in a way. One by one, slices of cakes disappeared into their stomachs. In the middle of eating his 9th slice of cake, Takano spoke.

"Is this a dream? Or is this real? I don't know anymore. I want this to be real but this must be a dream," Takano mumbled. Onodera looked up from his cake. What did he mean by 'must be a dream'? He would have passed it as Takano being so happy, he didn't know what to do with himself but judging by the tone of his voice, something was off.

"I mean, if this is real, I am really sorry, Onodera but I am sure this is a dream. I must have fainted or something at work. Come on, who am I to hope? You will never love me again, no matter what I say or do," Takano mumbled, depressed, poking his cake. Onodera stared appalled at Takano. Did Takano really felt this way all this time? Was Takano really this insecure? All this while, had Onodera cared only for himself, not caring about Takano's feelings? Guilt hit him hard. So hard he was struggling to stop his tears from falling. Meanwhile, Takano continued mumbling to himself. Not bearing to look at Takano acting this way anymore, this insecure, this crestfallen, Onodera stood up and slammed his hand as hard as he could on the table.

"Takano, look. This is real. I have decided to give you a second chance af-after thinking things through. So please, don't think like that," Onodera pleaded. Still, Takano did not look convinced.

'What am I to do? I have never been good with people before. This time, I can't ask Yokozawa for help because Takano needs me now. All I can do is talk and try to convince him,' Onodera thought. Man, was he glad he decided to do the celebration. Or else who knows what else is going on in his mind. He walked over to Takano and kneeled beside him, taking Takano's hand.

"Takano, I am really sorry that I rejected you so many times but I was scared. I was scared that I would break my heart again. I was scared that I would get hurt. But I didn't know that you would get hurt too. I'm sorry I'm so selfish. But just now, Kiri-a friend of mine talked me through and I realised that I should give you a second chance. A real one this time. A re-a real relationship. S-so don't break my heart again. Please," Onodera whispered the last part, resting his forehead on Takano's lap. Minutes passed like that, both of them unmoving. Then, a shadow passed above Onodera, making him look up, only to feel a warm hand ruffling his hair. He squeezed his eyes shut, enjoying the warmth.

"I'll never leave you, Onodera. I promise," Takano promised in his deep baritone, the one that Onodera wanted to listen to forever. "But are you sure this isn't a dream?" Takano continued.

"Want me to pinch you?" Onodera snapped, his eyes still closed. After all that speech? Takano slid down in front of Onodera, taking both of the other man's hands into his. At that instant, all of Onodera's anger dissipated.

"Open your eyes, Onodera," Takano ordered him gently. Slowly, Onodera pried his eyes open, only to be mesmerized by Takano's intense amber eyes staring back at him. He wanted to look away but he can't. Tears gathered in his eyes just by looking at Takano. Why didn't he see that Takano love him so much? Why didn't he see that Takano would never hurt him intentionally? Why didn't he see all these before?

"Thank you, Onodera. I love you," Takano whispered before slipping his hands around his slim waist, pulling him close. Onodera was overwhelmed by the emotions stirring inside him. Happiness, shock, a little bit of embarrassment and mostly, love. Finally, the tears pooling in his eyes fell. Wrapping his arms around Takano's back, he clutched on to the fuzzy, black sweater for dear life.

"I-I lo-lo-love you too, Ma-masamu-mune," Onodera sobbed. Hearing that, Takano tighten his grip around Onodera.

"Thanks for the cake, Ritsu. Best birthday ever," Takano murmured, sighing happily.

 **Author's notes: so I go stuck at the celebration for like 2.5 hrs. It was hard to write cuz I didn't have any inspiration so I did what I do best. Go with the flow... I hope you like the fluff. I wanted Onodera to be like the high school Onodera. I mean, he is sweet but because of Takano, he became like that. So why not because of Takano, he also became his high sch self again? And don't forget, Takano almost broke down so the insecure ness came back. I also wanted Onodera and Yokozawa to be friends. Ok any reviews is welcomed. Any plots are also welcome.**


	4. His Voice

**Hi guys. So I know I haven't been updating for weeks. You see, I have school to deal with, 2 CCAs(something like football and stuff. Mine is proudly aikido and symphonic band) and on top of that, I have piano, chores, homework and I also have to deal with my tiredness. This chapter is not a good chapter as I did not have the time but yea...**

 **This one is for Mori. I am sorry I couldn't follow exactly to what you wanted so that is why this chapter is version 1. If I have the time, I'll write a better one but for now, enjoy.**

"Onodera, open the door," Takano called out and waited patiently for the man's response. Silence. He huffed and tried to call out again while knocking on the door. His response still did not come. Losing his patience, he slammed his hand on the door and made towards his own house. If he was not going to come, why bother?

Creak. Takano's head swiveled around and found himself staring into emerald eyes. For 2.5 seconds. Then, Onodera shifted his gaze towards the ground. This gave Takano the chance to scrutinize his outfit-of-the-day. And didn't know whether to store the memory away so that he could use it as blackmail against him or push him against a wall. Onodera was wearing a navy sweater with holes at the elbows, coated with a thick layer of dust and pastel colored pants that were not-so-pastel anymore. Worse, or the cutest (Takano couldn't decide), was the apron. It was 5 sizes too big for him

It was just so unappealing, the way he wore it. And this was coming from Takano.

"What..." Onodera grunted, flushing in an adorable red. When he saw Takano looking at his clothing, he too looked down and was startled to find himself still wearing that blasted apron. Immediately, he turned away from Takano and stormed into his living room. He came back a second later, meekly inviting Takano into his house. Takano merely raised an eyebrow, amused.

Taking out his shoes, he entered Onodera's house and was somewhat amazed at the progress he had made in cleaning his house within two hours. Well, it's not much but hey, progress was still progress, right?

"So, what do you need my help for?" he asked, his eyes following Onodera's back as he busied himself with cleaning the floor of the living room. He was handed with another broom. His eyebrow quirked.

"Are you seriously going to ask me to use a broom? What a waste of time. Do you even have a vacuum with you?" Takano grunted, shoving the broom back into Onodera's hands.

"..." Onodera blinked, his face seeming as if he did not even know what a vacuum cleaner was.

'Pampered little prince,' Takano sighed. He rocked on his heels before heading to the opposite direction of Onodera. The question directed at him was only answered with a quick 'I'll be back'.

After 5 minutes, Takano entered Onodera's house. He handed Onodera the vacuum and was rewarded with a blank stare.

'Really a pampered little prince,' Takano thought and decided to say it out loud.

"Hey, it wasn't like I wanted to be born into the Onodera family. Rather, I want to be born into a normal family with average salary income and stuff," He mumbled, avoiding Takano's look. Actually, if Takano was honest with himself, Onodera seems to be avoiding him. He keeps walking away from Takano, not prolonging conversations, even work related ones, and he just wouldn't look him in the eye. This really bothered Takano. Was Onodera just tired and more importantly, had he grown tired of him?

"..." Takano shook his head, both in disagreement and in an attempt to clear his mind. He was just thinking negatively. But still...

4 hours later, they were finally done with all the cleaning. Takano stood back, admiring the shiny floor that he himself had scrubbed. His hand wiped away the droplet of sweat and thought about the process of cleaning itself. It was done in silence, with the occasional 'Where do you put this?' or 'Help me with this please'. Usually, Takano would approach Onodera on this and force the answer out of his mouth but today, Onodera just had a vibe surrounding him saying 'Don't disturb me'. Ok, he has that all the time but this one was unusually strong. Thus, the quiet cleaning.

"Ta...Takano, would you please sit here?" Onodera offered, shocking Takano out of his reverie. His voice, somewhat solemn and nervous. Takano's eyes narrowed, his heart thumping. What was this? Why the sudden offer? Was there going to be bad news? Suddenly it all makes sense now. Onodera had gotten tired of him. Overwhelmed by this thought, he stumbled back onto the sofa and sat with his head in his palms.

He didn't even realized that Onodera had gone and came back with a guitar in his hands. He didn't even realized that Onodera was staring at him, and that he was practically trembling. So lost was he in his world of thoughts that he did not notice all these. Until the first chord was strummed.

"Co… Cold as ice.

And more bitter than December.

Winter night,

That's how i treated you..." Onodera sang softly. Takano shot up from his depressed position and his eyes widened at the sight that behold him. Onodera. His Onodera... Singing...

"And I know that I,

I sometimes tend to lose my temper

And I cross the line

Yeah that's the truth," Onodera continued, his voice growing stronger as the lyrics spill out from his lips. The song flowed into Takano's ears, entrancing him. Onodera's voice. Oh how sweet and lovely it sounded. It was lower than his normal voice but it fitted him perfectly. Everything else was blurred out but Onodera.

"And I know it gets hard sometimes

But I could never leave your side

No matter what I say," Takano's eyes grew cloudy. Annoyed, he rubbed his eyes to clear his view. Onodera by now, had closed his eyes and was gently swaying. He stopped for a second to take a deep breath. And resumed.

"Cause if I wanted to go, I would've gone by now

But I really need you near me

Keep my mind off the edge," He hit the high notes without any trouble. Takano was impressed, of course. He didn't have much of a singing talent. Well, at least that was what he thought.

"If I wanted to leave, I would have left by now

But you're the only one that knows me

Better than I know myself," Onodera whispered the last part, so softly that Takano almost couldn't catch it. His eyes fluttered open, his pale face now a shade of crimson. Shyly, he met Takano's gaze, silently inquiring his opinion.

But all Takano could do was just stare. His mind was still in reeling in shock at the performance. He gaped openly and for once, lost his entire composure. He couldn't get it back. To him, this was one of the things that he would never show to anyone. It would be his downfall but now, it didn't matter. Nothing else mattered. He thought of the lyrics that Onodera had sung and it finally sunk in.

Slowly, and so light that you couldn't see it if you weren't looking close enough, a light dust of pink covered his cheeks. But Onodera was looking close enough, and he noticed. It wasn't those type of overwhelming blushes that covers your face and even your ears. It was those type that appears at the puffiest part of your cheeks and stays there. With Takano's pale complexion and the rosy cheeks, Onodera found himself thinking that Takano was cute. And he really was. Sitting there, trying to hide his face but not entirely succeeding, it was then that Onodera understood why Takano had gone all out to make him blush. Because Takano was just so cute.

Quietly setting down his guitar, Onodera stepped towards Takano and wrapped his arms around him. Takano froze for a moment before relaxing, his own arms circling the other's back. It felt so weird, but at the same time, so natural for Onodera to be doing the first move. Usually, Takano was the one who had to keep prodding him before he could even hold his hand.

They stayed at the position for a while. Then Takano spoke and they broke free, but still kept their arms around each other.

"Why were you so quiet this morning? I was so sure that you were going to br… Got tired..." Takano muttered, not daring to speak the phrases. Onodera merely look appalled.

"Why would I want to do that? I mean, I don't have a reason to do that, right? And anyway, if someone you love was coming over to your house, wouldn't you feel nervous," Onodera said, rolling his eyes. Meanwhile, Takano was just looking at him.

"... What," Onodera questioned after a while, squirming under Takano's intense gaze.

"You said 'Someone you love'. Is that your confession?" Takano half-teased, hoping that he actually did.

Onodera jumped back at the statement and flushed. Yet, he didn't deny it. Takano smirked. He leaned closer to him until their foreheads touched, his hand cupping Onodera's head. His other hand was on Onodera's cheek, feeling the warmth that radiated from him. He peered down, just to see that the other man, as per normal, was staring at the ground.

At first, he did get annoyed with this but he was so used to it that now, he found it adorable. His hand slid to his chin and brought it upwards firmly but as gently as he could. Their gazes locked and it stayed locked until Onodera started tearing up. Then, Takano gave in and leaned forward, frustratingly slow. He tilted his head and his eyelids fluttered close. At last, their lips met.

Onodera's lips were as soft as usual, though a bit moist. This time, unlike others, Takano went gentle with Onodera. Why not? He did have Onodera now and didn't feel the need to proclaim his love for him. Now, he was just content with treating him like he was precious. Because he is.

Takano pulled his head back to catch some needed air and looked at On-Ritsu. He was flushed, panting heavily. His forehead was glistened with a thin layer of sweat. But he didn't move away. Nor did he complain. He just sat there, his lips a bit puckered, as if he was expecting more. Relief overcame Takano. This really meant that Ritsu was his. Without wasting another second, he leaned in again.

The next day, Takano realized that he forgot to tell Ritsu that his voice was mellifluous and pure gold. And he also forgot all about dinner. And as to why Ritsu decided to sing to him, that was a mystery. Never to be solved.

 **GAH I REREAD THE WHOLE THING AND IT WAS SO LAME. THIS IS THE REASON WHY I DIDN'T UPLOAD IN A WHILE. BECAUSE THE STORY'S LAME. X( …**

 **PS, Mori, please give your feedback. I need to know if this is good enough for you.** **L**


	5. Important note(not really)

p class="MsoNormal"I forgot to tell you. My stories are all one shots thus, it doesn't link. At all. But sometimes it might. strong /strongIf it does, I'll tell you. Ok, I'm just sounding paranoid here, aren't I? /p 


	6. What if Part 1

**Hey guys! I have a whole week of holiday! YAY! But then again, there is homework, revision, stuff to do... And if I follow my planner properly, I will only have a day of relaxation... Hey, but at least I don't need to go to school, right?**

 **Ok, so back to the point. This story is written for** ** _DarkPrincess758_** **. Thanks for the support and listening to my rants. You are awesome.**

 **For the rest of you, thank you too for reading my stories. Love you. Oh, yeah. This story will be divided into several parts. So...**

"Sa... Saga senpai... Are we goi...going out?" Oda muttered, his hands fumbling with a strand that had come loose from the edge of his pants. He braced himself for the answer, wanting deep in his heart for Senpai to say 'yes'.

A minute passed. Oda's mind slowly turned to the dark side, feeding him negative thoughts. He pushed them aside but they were like ripples of water. The more you push water aside, the faster and stronger it will come to you. Still, he denied and finally, not able to endure the pain of the thoughts, he tilted his head up and gazed into Senpai's face.

And his world shattered.

Senpai was smirking. Actually smirking. Like he thought the question, no, the whole situation was funny. Senpai rarely smiles. Senpai...

He sprung up from the bed. Pain shot through his foot but it didn't matter for the moment. All he knew was that he had to get out, go away from Senpai. As far away as possible. He dashed out of the room, so fast that he could hear his blood pumping in his ears. It deafened everything around him but a faint sound manage to reach his ears. The sound of Senpai's voice calling out to him, calling his name. He ignored it and tugged at the front door, his only obstacle to freedom.

It was locked. He shook it again. Nothing happened. Beads of sweat trailed down his forehead. He glanced around, searching for the spare key but it was nowhere to be found. And then he remembered where it was. On top of the drawer of the kitchen. Immediately, he sprinted towards it, grabbed them and went back to opening the door.

It was then that he realised that there were 7 keys hanging on the keychain. He took hold of one and fitted it in the keyhole but the lock did not open. He tried another one. Still no results. Then, the stairs creaked.

He froze, his hand hanging in the air. It creaked again. And again. He jolted into action, his hand fumbling with the keys. The footsteps grew nearer. It was a race against time.

"Oda. Oda, wait. Where are you going?" Saga called out, the lazy drawl in his voice gone. Oda spun around. He saw the man at the end of the living room, his figure hidden in the shadows. Panicked, he jingled the keys around.

"Oda, talk to me," Saga pleaded, his voice a semitone higher. In other cases, he would have given in but not today. It only serves as an encouragement for him to speed up his job.

It clicked. The lock finally opened at the 7th and last key. He stared at the doorknob for a moment, before flinging it open and throwing the keys on the floor.

"Oda, tomorrow. Meet me in the library. Please," Saga shouted after him.

"My name's not Oda. It Onodera!" He cried out. He was relieved. Finally, he was gone from that place. Gone forever and never to come back.


	7. What if Part 3

**Hey guys! So here is the second part to my What if... story. Hope you enjoooooy!**

He ran all the way home, although his lungs hurt and his legs' muscles screamed in agony. His eyes stung from the wind, making it tear but he was not entirely sure if it was only because of the wind. He stumbled a few times over his feet and his legs almost gave way but yet he never stopped running.

Finally, when he thought he could not go any further, the familiar shape of his house laid in his sight. It gave him a boost of adrenaline and he sprinted towards his front gate, flinging it open once he got there. Rushing to the door, he briefly knocked a tune, his family tradition to identify another family member, before entering it. Once the door was firmly shut behind him, he leaned against it and gasped for air.

It attracted the attention of his mother, who trudged towards him and placed her hands on her hips, an eyebrow raised. Onodera weakly held up a hand and still continued to catch his breath. After a few minutes of heavy breathing, he straightened his back and pushed his sweaty hair away from his eyes. He was annoyed to find that his mother was still waiting for an answer. He sighed quietly and nimbly walked past her, deafening his ears to the nagging behind him. He was going to be terribly grounded, he knew, but all he wished for was his soft, cozy bed. And Senpai. But the latter was impossible.

He closed the door behind him, hearing it click before falling onto his bed. The covers swallowed him and gave him a sense of security. He laid unmoving until he could barely breathe before turning over so that he was lying on his back. He gazed up on the ceiling. The whole room was dark but the glow-in-the-dark stars pasted on it softly illuminated the room. They covered the whole ceiling, leaving only tiny spaces between them bare.

The idea was suggested by Senpai, on the night of the fireworks festival. They watched the fireworks go off for a while before Senpai kissed him gently on the lips. It was dark and crowded, so Onodera did not mind it. When they parted, Senpai mused aloud about pasting the glow-in-the-dark star in his room but his tone was bitter at that time. Onodera knew that, as carefree as his parents may be, he was not allowed to do anything to the walls of the house. It was going to be a pain to tear them out when his mother decided to move. So, Onodera was the one suggested to paste them in his room.

He regretted his decision now. They only served to remind him of the happy times that he thought Senpai was his. Maybe he was at that time. He looked away, not standing the sight of the stars. His eyes grew hot and tears pooled. He fought hard not to let them fall, not to give in the sadness in his heart, but they fell anyway. Soon, he was sobbing hard into his pillow.

Forget Senpai. Forget everything he had done. Forget his face, his feel of his lips on his. The soft silky hair. Forget his amazed laugh whenever Onodera made a joke. The only one who could make him special by just a simple smile. Just... Forget him.

Occasionally, he would open his to just see how much time had passed and every time he did that, he would see the stars pasted on the ceiling and memories came flooding back. After the fourth time, he got fed up with himself and tried to go to sleep, even though his stomach rumbled. Eventually, he drifted to sleep, full of nightmares and what would have been dreams to him only a mere 4 hours ago.


	8. What if Ending

**Hey guys. Probably you won't be reading this but just for my entertainment, im gonna write this. So I actually do not know if people are awaiting for my new stories or not. But I have to still preserver and see things through until they are done. It's really hard but oh well, that's life. Anyways, the last part of the whole thing. I did this a long time ago but didn't have the time to take out my computer and actually post this. yeah, excuses, excuses... :( Anyways, ever heard of** ** _Miyano Mamoru_** **? He is awesome. TOO awesome for me... The reason behind the bold, italics and underlining.** XD

He was never going back to school. Nope. He did not care if it would affect his studies. Actually, the real question was how was he going to face Senpai, with yesterday's events? His face just burned at the thought. He was already embarrassed enough. So, it was decided. He would quit school and transfer to another school, preferably somewhere far, far away from his current school. Getting out of bed, determination set in his face, he skipped changing his clothes and went down the stairs.

"Mother, Father, I have something to tell you," he announced as soon as he reached the table. They looked up from their respective tasks, mother hovering around the stove and father from his daily, delivered newspaper. Both had quizzical looks on their faces, a small improvement from their normal panda-eyed look and bored faces.

"I'm quitting school today so I am not going to school," he said. A second passed before any of them reacted. Then, their jaws dropped. It would be comical to Onodera if he was only joking. Which he was not.

"You still have to attend school though so I hope you have another school in your mind," Father said dismissively before going back to his newspaper. It was a clear win with him. Mother was another story. From surprised to disbelieve to anger.

"No! You are not going to transfer'" she screamed, waving the cooking spoon (Onodera had no idea what it is) in his face. He had expected this though and calmly repeated that no matter what happened, he was no going to go back to school. Mother's face only grew redder.

"You are grounded, remember? No, don't give me that face. Firstly, you came home late even though I specifically told you to come home early yesterday. Secondly, you ignored me and went straight to your room. Thirdly, you did not eat your dinner. See how many rules you've broken yesterday? Who asked you to? If not, I would've considered your choice," she hissed and turned around to look over the breakfast.

Onodera was devastated. He knew what his mother said was absolute in these type of situation but he could NOT go to that school. He protested against his mother's words, and then begged and pleaded but she was an obstinate woman.

Finally, after much pleading, mother looked at Onodera.

"Tell me why then you so badly want to change your school when a few months back, you were in love with it, staying late into the evening just to read the books there?" Mother inquired, her steely eyes boring Onodera. Now, it was his turn to gape. He very nearly wanted to tell her about Saga-senpai but how would she react if she knew that Onodera was actually dating? And a man at that too.

Mother always had strict rules. Studies before love. Head before heart. That was the reason why she only engaged An and him and restricted any form of affection between them. Not that he wanted to but that was not the point, was it? She also, while not detested, disapproved by the idea of same gender love. Now to know that he broke one of the most important rules in the house and did something that she disapproves would only earn him the ticket of waltzing out of the front door. With his luggage bags.

So Onodera was stumped. He did not know what to say. The truth, a lie or silence? Since the first one was out, he was left with two and as he cannot fib for the life of him, it only left with 1 option. Thus, he stayed silent and mother only huffed at the lack of response, nagging away how he had wasted her time.

Then, he realised. He was bound to meet Senpai if he came to school. His vision blurred and his head hurt. He wanted to argue further with mother but he knew it was a lost case. Arguing would only inflict more punishment upon him. With hidden tears and sniffles, Onodera got ready for school.

He heaved his bag and dragged his feet out of the door, a solemn look on his face. Why? Why did things have to turn out this way? Why couldn't he had just shut his mouth and not ask Senpai the question? Wait, no. That couldn't be avoided, he thought. The real question was why was he so stupid to land himself in being grounded? He sighed.

He dreaded entering the school gates, even more when he exited them. These past few days, whenever he couldn't meet him at the library, Senpai had waited for him at the school gate so that they can walk home together. Then, Senpai would turn back around and go back to school. So now, how was he ever going to get home? He was sure that Senpai would be waiting for him, judging be the flow of things yesterday. Even if he did manage to avoid Senpai today, how was he going to avoid Senpai for two whole weeks? And that if his parents allows him to transfer schools. Or else...

He had a good mind to play truant, a thought that had never occurred to him before. Maybe he could go to the abandoned playground and hide there. Or maybe he could report in sick and go home, also feigning a sickness for mother and father so they do not suspect anything. The gears of his brain started turning. He could say he had a chicken pox but mother and father was bound to call a doctor. Or he could break his own arm.

His footsteps came to a halt. Onodera frowned and shook his head, attempting to clear out the thoughts in his head. He couldn't succumb to these, no matter what happened. He couldn't believe he was thinking of these, to avoid one person. He wasn't even sure he would meet Senpai, though the probability was high. He smiled bitterly. He wasn't even sure that Senpai cared anymore.

With that thought in his mind, he hastened his pace and hurried to get to his school.

He glanced around, squinting for signs of the security and prefects. He was horribly late. Everyone else was already at the assembly area, probably halfway through the announcements. Luckily the assembly area was at the side of the school and not directly in front of the main gates, like some unfortunate schools.

He creeped his was across towards the gates and nudged it gently. It swung open with a soft creak. Heaving a sigh of relieve, he pushed it far enough for him to squeeze through and slipped in.

His eyes scanned the area. Still no one in sight. Heart pumping wildly in his chest, he sprinted his way towards the assembly area, making sure his footsteps were light. He skidded to a halt once he got close and ducked behind a pillar. Catching his breath, he poked his head out and surveyed the surroundings.

Teachers milled about, their eyes sharp on picking out students who were misbehaving. Some were standing close to the pillar he was hiding behind, too close for comfort. He quickly retreated his head and weighed all the options he had, beads of sweat trickling down his face. He could run to his class, which was in the middle of the assembly area and be bound to get caught. He could also hide behind the pillar until they were dismissed and join his class afterwards, in the meantime praying that he wouldn't be spotted. Or he could hide in one of the nearby toilets, which was not so far from where he stood and also could provide him with the reason that he was sick thus he had to go to the toilet. He chose the last option and peeked a last look at the area before sprinting his way towards the toilets.

The nearest one was on the ground level of the teaching block but though it was the nearest, it was still a great 200m away. Such was the cons of a big school. Onodera was getting stiches at his sides by now. His lungs burned, leaving him to gasp handfuls of air. But he couldn't stop running now. He put a hand at his sides and clutched it as tightly as he could.

He wasn't much of a sprinter or a runner. He wasn't pretty much anything when it comes to sports. How he had won the third prize for long jump had been a mystery. Maybe it was because he saw Senpai's face in the crowd, looking at him with a slight smile and had raised an eyebrow when he waved at him. A boost of adrenaline had surged through him and he remembered feeling overwhelmingly encouraged. Well, looking at him run now because of Senpai's indirect fault, anyone who knew Onodera's normal sprinting time would be gaping.

Finally, as he turned around a corner, he spotted the toilet. A new burst of energy made him increase his speed. 10m. 8m. 4m. 3m. 2m. 1m. 0m.

He burst into the toilet, slamming the door shut behind him and leaned against it for support. He can't believe it. He made it. He escaped the teachers. Guilt and worry started to rise inside him but he pushed it aside for the moment. Hey, it's not like he did this everyday right? Once he assured himself, a small grin creeped on his face. He made it.

Thud. Thud. Thud. Footsteps. He looked up, panic bubbling inside him. Pray it not be a teacher or prefect. But what he saw was worse. Much, much worse.

"Oda?" Saga-senpai said, confusion plain in his voice. A tissue was trapped in his hands.

"What are you doing here? It's assembly," he asked, still unaware of Onodera's blood-drained face.

Onodera, on his part, was paralyzed. A tornado of emotions wrecked havoc in his mind. He didn't know what to think, what to do. He didn't even know what he felt. Was it anger? Was it embarrassment? Maybe sadness? So he just stood there, his legs trembling and his hand clutching the doorknob for dear life.

Saga-senpai crushed the tissue and tossed it into the bin with a deadly precision. Then he turned back to Onodera and finally noticed the way he held himself. He cocked his head to the side, his eyebrows slightly knitted together. Why was he behaving like that? He was reminded of yesterday, the way he looked as he ran away from the house. The look of someone heartbroken.

But he didn't do anything wrong, right? Right? He wrecked his brains of what he had done wrong but could find none. He was sure now that Onodera's look was of one who had been heartbroken. But why? And how?

He decided to ask.

"Hey, Oda... About yesterday..." he didn't proceed, his mind whirling about how to go on.

It was like someone pressed the play button on Onodera. Not wanting to answer or even think about yesterday, he swung around and pulled the door open.

But Saga was faster and stronger. As soon as his mind had processed what Onodera was doing, he sprinted the few meters it took to get across to the door and slammed it shut. His body was positioned directly in front of Onodera and his other hand was placed on the other side of his head. Now, Onodera was trapped.

Onodera swiveled around, only to find himself staring at Saga's face. He pushed him, desperate to get away but Saga did not budge. He merely took both of Onodera's hands and pinned it above his head. By now, Onodera felt helpless. He wriggled about but it didn't do anything. Tears welled up in his eyes and before he could even command it to go away, they fell. The hand placed on the door retreated and he felt hope that Senpai would let him go. But he didn't. Instead, he wiped off Onodera's tears with the pad of his thumb. This only caused more tears to spill.

Once Onodera had calmed down slightly, Saga asked. Sure he was hesitant but he needed to know.

"Why did you run away from me yesterday?" He was tempted to mention about why he got kicked in the head but decided against it.

Onodera didn't say anything. Saga tried again. Again and again. Until Onodera finally answered.

"It was because... I knew. You were playing with me all these while. You didn't love me. Didn't you say I was disgusting? Heh, I should've known then," Onodera explained bitterly. His voice, though soft, was strong.

Saga's widened. What rubbish was Onodera talking about? What playing?

"What do you mean?" He demanded softly. All he could see now was Onodera's hair. He always hated his habit of staring at the floor.

"Don't act like you don't know. You laughed when I asked you if we were going out. Nobody who was serious had laughed at the question," Onodera spat out. Once again, tears fell.

"Did I laugh? I didn't remember laughing," Saga answered truthfully. Really, he didn't.

"And if I did, that was probably because I was nervous at the question," he said again, just in case he did laugh.

"Don't give me excuses! You were playing with me... I know..." Onoder's voice finally broke after the small outburst. Saga, by now, was getting fed up. He didn't laugh and he wasn't playing with Onodera.

"Hey, listen here, Onodera..." Saga started, trying to control his anger. But Onodera interrupted.

"I don't want to listen to excuse..."

"I said LISTEN!" That was when Saga lost it. It worked to, seeing that Onodera was shocked into silence. But fear was clearly etched onto his face. The anger drained from Saga.

"I said listen," Saga continued gently. "I wasn't playing with you. I swear. Honestly, I didn't remember laughing so it proves the fact that it was just nervous laughter. Even if I did laugh, it was probably because I thought 'This boy asking me this question after all we did?' I thought it was obvious that we were going out.

And how in the world did you come to the conclusion that I was playing wih you? You are the only person that could make me smile. The one that I said you were disgusting, I regretted it now. I would never, ever make fun of your feelings, Oda. I never make fun of anyone's feelings the day you came into my life.

I'm sorry for making you feel this way. You did say that no one else would do the things I did. But I'm not them. I don't want to be ordinary. So forgive me if I don't do things up to your expectations. Oda, can you forgive me?" He pleaded, cupping Onodera's chin and forcing it upwards so that he had to make eye contact.

"You... you aren't joking about this, right? That you... you want me and not anyone else?" He stuttered out.

"Oda, when do I ever joke?" Saga muttered. His hand loosened the grip on Onodera's wrists and cupped his chin. He stared deep into his eyes before capturing his lips. It was a gentle one, with Saga trying to convey his apology through and assuring Onodera that he was precious. Onodera whined and moaned, wanting more, but Saga stubbornly refused. He trailed his tongue over Onodera's lips and tasted saltiness. Concerned, he pulled back, his hands still cupping the sides of Onodera's cheek.

"Oda, are you feeling better now?" He asked, his tone back to its normal monotone. But Onodera knew better and nodded hard, a small smile on his face. Then, his head jerked up and almost collided with Saga's chin.

"I'm not Oda. I'm Onodera," he clarified, his cheeks turning crimson. Saga let his hands fall to his sides and cocked his head to the side.

"Huh?"

"I… Urm… Uh… I kind of… You see…"

"What…" Saga became somewhat annoyed at the mumbles and the stuttering though he tried hard not to show it. But Onodera, that pure soul, saw through it.

"SORRY! I faked my name when I wrote it down on the name cards. I thought if I did that, you would at least think less of me and not ask around for me if you figured out that I was st….stalking you. But when you did, I was too embarrassed to correct you and it was awkward if I did correct you later on… so I decided… urm… sorry…" Onodera blurted out, his face lighting up. He shuffled uncomfortably on the spot and tried to avoid Saga's burning glare.

"WHAT? And you think I would be any happier if you let it drag on, huh?" Saga fumed. Honestly, this boy! If he was not Onodera, he would have dumped him on the spot. But then again, he was. Thus, he tried hard, really hard, to contain his anger and eventually succeeded. Onodera wilted at this, wishing the ground would open up and eat him whole.

Thud. Both of them froze and glanced at each other in rising panic. Thud. It was a footstep alright, coming towards them. Thud. Thud. Thud. With no time to spare, Saga pulled Onodera and shoved him into a stall before locking himself in another. Onodera, having recovered from his stumble, quickly shut the lock. And both of them waited.

The door opened. Onodera backed away from the stall door until he couldn't any further. He heard some mumblings. It seemed as if the person was talking to the phone. Then, as the conversation dragged on, Onodera realized who it was. It was the principal. By then, a light sheen of sweat covered his forehead. He waited for the principal to go out of the toilet. And waited. His heart hammered in his chest and he worried that his breathing was too hard.

"You inside the stalls. Come out now," the principle thundered. Onodera's heart stopped. Slowly, he lifted his foot and stepped outside to meet his fate. Oh well. At least he got back with Saga-senpai.

 **The end. Final chapter. More prompts? Please?**

 **Oh, hearing identity by Miyano Mamoru is just... *sees rainbows everywhere***


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